


Three Miss, One Crit

by Inimichan



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Gaming, Itaru is taking time to figure it out, M/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, also I know very little about games, hope I did Citron justice, kinda slow burn, mentions of "Animal Crossing: New Horizions", mentions of "Fire Emblem: 3 Houses", mentions of "Legend of Zelda BotW", mentions of "Mario Kart", mentions of "Phoenix Write:Ace Attorney", mentions of "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate", probably a bit OOC, they cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:29:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23400715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inimichan/pseuds/Inimichan
Summary: About an hour later, both men sat on Itaru’s sofa, going over some games Itaru put down on the coffee table. The older salary man wasn’t prepared for Citron’s enthusiastic request, but he complied out of interest.  ///// Itaru gets a new gaming partner, but he unintentionally wins the DLC of having a crush on him.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru & Citron, Chigasaki Itaru/Citron
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68





	Three Miss, One Crit

**Author's Note:**

> I have recently discovered the joys of ItaCitro so I am contributing with probably OOC and my miniscule knowledge in gaming.  
> Please imagine everything is being said in Japanese, of course.  
> Rated teen to be safe...? though, no mentions of anything explicit.  
> Don't ask me how but Citron has a smartphone.

\-----

Saturday was “Itaru Time”. Well - technically all time outside of practice or work was “Itaru Time”. But Saturdays… They were all day “Itaru Time”.

It was their day off during the packed week to do as they pleased. Most of the actors used that time to hang out, go shopping, catch up with family or invest in their hobbies. In Itaru’s case - all day long _gaming binge_. 

So, to say he weren’t expecting guests that Saturday evening was probably the correct statement. 

Itaru took off his headphones, unsure if he heard the knocking in or out game. When a rhythmed knock repeated on his bedroom door, he sighed.

“Yeah?” he called from the top of his bed, putting down his Switch. At his entrance stood Citron, wearing some casual clothes he borrowed from various Mankai members, beaming at him. 

“Itaru!” Citron exclaimed excitedly, in his own unique pronunciation of his name. Itaru couldn’t help but smirk a little, relaxing back into his pillow and continuing his game.

“‘Sup Citron.” the door closed behind him, and soon the gamer could feel the shift of someone climbing up his bed ladder. He turned to give Citron a puzzled look, as he hovered over him with a giant grin and sparkling eyes.

“Can you teach me Japanese games?”

\----

About an hour later, both men sat on Itaru’s sofa, going over some games Itaru put down on the coffee table. The older salary man wasn’t prepared for Citron’s enthusiastic request, but he complied out of interest. 

“I’m not sure these would all be good for you, but they all have English options just in case, so you should be fine.” Itaru placed a few games, as well his Switch Lite next to them. He got it out of whim, so borrowing it to Citron wasn’t too bad. He didn’t even have much data stored on it to begin with. 

“Thank you, Itaru! Banri said it will be good for me to practice.” Citron held the game boxes in both hands, eyeing the colorful prints and illustrations and humming happily. 

_Ah, he probably wanted to get rid of him…_ Itaru thought to himself, feeling bad for the other.

“What is this one about?” he extended the hand holding _“Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”_. 

“It’s an open world adventure game. You might like it actually… They do have some text to read through though, but you can take your time with this kind of gameplay.” flopping down next to Citron, Itaru opened his phone to show him some gameplay and commercials. 

“Ohhh!! I like it!” the foreigner put that game box to his right, and took another from the table. It was his _“Fire Emblem: Three Houses”_ box, though it was empty. 

“What about this one? They look very serious…” his finger pointed at Dimitri’s character at particularly, which made Itaru chuckle. 

“This one is a strategy fighting game with an extensive story. I am currently playing it though, so you will have to wait a bit.” Citron didn’t need to know it was his fourth run.

The younger man looked mildly disappointed and put the box back on the table. Itaru let out a small laugh. “Don’t look so sad, you will have your chance. How about you start with _Zelda_ then? We can progress from there.” 

After putting all the excess games away, Itaru showed Citron the basics of how to operate the Switch and how the game worked. To his surprise, he got the hang of it pretty easily, and stayed in his room for a while just to get used to it. Itaru was mostly amused by his reactions to certain things that happened, Citron eagerly asking him further questions about the gameplay or translation. 

Before you knew it, it was almost midnight, and Itaru got an alert from three different games his LP was full. He wasn’t expecting to enjoy teaching Citron about games, but for once - he’ll give Banri credit for a bad idea.

“Itaru! I promise to protect your Switch!” was Citron’s weird phrasing as he stood in his doorway to leave. “Yeah well, it did cost me quite a bit, so make sure not to ruin it okay?” 

The tanned man only nodded vigorously, bidding him good night and leaving for his own room. Itaru could hear some lively chatter from Citron and Sakuya’s room. He laughed to himself and retreated inside.

\-----

The next time Citron showed up, Itaru at least got a heads warning. Since they’ve been chatting online for the past two weeks - Citron asked for walkthroughs and help a lot - he sent him a message that evening.

_-ITARU!_

_Is it ok if I come? I want to ask something…_

_..・ヾ(。＞＜)シ_

Oh, and Muku taught him how to use the emoji keyboard, so there was a lot of that too.

_-ya_

Was his simple reply, as he kept browsing through the digital store on his Switch. A great timing, because he was looking for another game Citron might like.

A knock on his door a couple of moments later, this time Itaru opened the door. Citron was holding the other Switch in his hands, pouting and looking a bit gloomy. 

“You look sour… what’s up?” the gamer closed the door behind him as Citron sat unceremoniously on his sofa, whining dramatically.

“ITARU!!! The game is too completed!!!” his guest cried out as he placed the Switch gently on the table, then looking up at Itaru with teary eyes.

The other raised an eyebrow. “...’Completed’? Oh, you mean, ‘complicated’.... What happened? I thought you were doing great.” he sat next to Citron and grabbed the console to look at his progress.

“Complicated - yes! It is very hard…. I fight the robots a lot but I keep dying…. I am not sure this is the good game for me….” he looked over Itaru’s shoulder as he scanned his game history. The other didn’t really see any problems with his gaming, only he did die a lot. “Maybe it’s a bit hard for a first time. I will send you some ‘Let’s Play’s of this game later, because the story is really good.” exiting the game, he quickly logged into the digital shop on the spare console, typing effortlessly. 

“I was thinking you can do this one next,” Itaru displayed the preview for _“Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney”_. “The first three games are now on sale, and I was thinking of getting them myself.” Citron took the device from Itaru to scan through the different windows, reading the information to see what this game is about. “Oh! A murder solving game? Very bold!” his guest watched some of the videos before Itaru spoke again. “It’s mostly detective work, puzzles, mini-games and a lot of thinking. There is a bunch of text but I think you will like it. Personally - I find the English version more entertaining, but it’s up to you.” 

Citron shot Itaru his happiest smile, nodding in approval. “Yes! I think I will like this more. I really like my-… mysteries?” Itaru just gave him a thumbs up to approve of his pronouncing. “You wanna stay here for a bit? I was about to go grab something to eat.” 

“If _Taruchi_ doesn’t mind.” Citron giggled as he said that, Itaru just shook his head with a smirk and paid a visit to the kitchen.

He returned with two ready-made kitsune udon in cups, placing them on the coffee table.

“Thank you again, Itaru. I am really happy I can spend time with more people now, because of games.” The older man paused in the middle of pulling his chopsticks apart, slightly flustered. He haven’t thought about it, really. But if it helps Citron bond and practice his Japanese, he is happy to share his gaming knowledge with him. 

“Sure. I’m happy you’re having fun. Maybe one day you can join me and Banri for a game.” Itaru laid back in his seat as he gobbled his noodles loudly. The other looked at his own steaming bowl, a saddened expression on his face as he broke off his chopsticks and thanked for the food. “Sorry, but I don’t think I will be very good at it.” Citron apologized, giving Itaru his best smile. He could tell, he probably wanted to say more but didn’t know how. He could sympathize though. “Don't worry, I will teach you all the combos. I already know all of Banri’s weak points so you will kick his ass.” His reassuring seemed to have worked, since Citron straightened up in his own spot and radiated confidence.

“I will count on Taruchi then!” 

They ate the rest of their meal chatting idly afterwards.

\---- 

“And that’s it for today! Good job everyone!” Izumi wrapped up today’s morning practice, chatting with the high school boys to go over some of their skits. Itaru prepared his items to leave for the day, when his recent gaming partner approached him. “Itaru, you are going to work?” his question was odd, since it was obvious and also expected - as it was the middle of the week. “Yeah.” he gave Citron a puzzled looked when he zipped his jacket. He seemed like he was thinking of the sentence he wanted to say. “Tonight, can I come to your room? I finished the lawyer games last night.” his teammate shone with a victorious look, Itaru couldn’t help but feel proud and happy for him. 

“Oh? Otsu, Citron~” though their heights were about the same, Itaru couldn’t resist the urge to pat Citron’s head affectionately. It caused the other to blush slowly and his eyes blinked at him, and the gamer realized he had never seeing Citron blush before. His expression was rather the same preppy, mood making one most of the time. This was… new.

_Huh._

“You can come around eight, I’m assuming I’ll be here by then. See ya later.” he grabbed his phone and the rest of his items and left the training room.

On the train, while playing one of his gacha games with one hand - expertly - the image of Citron’s blushing face crossed his mind. He missed a combo.

  
  


\---- 

The unusual duo spent quite a lot of time together, not going unnoticed by a few Mankai members. Because, they _were_ an unusual pair. Sure, they were in the same troupe; but besides that, Itaru hanging out with people was an unusual sight on it’s own.

“Shit! Can’t believe I lost again…” Banri slumped into the plush cushions in Itaru’s room, shoving another handful of Hot Doritos into his mouth and wiping his hand on his own sweatpants. Itaru just smirked, making sure Banri isn’t leaving grease on any of his controllers, already rolling for their next round. 

“So what’s up with you and Citron? You guys became buddies or somethin’?” they both picked their characters for the next round, Banri going with Ganondorf this time. He clicked between the skins, as Itaru pondered his choice on the character screen.

“Hm…. guess so? We’re having fun.” he decided to go with the Villager for this run. Oh, it reminded him he still need to buy a copy of the new game.

Banri replied with a snort, giving him a side smirk. “Can’t believe you agreed to that dumbass idea.” the smug high schooler ran a hand through his hair. “But whatever. As long as it doesn’t eat up our gaming time I’m vibin' with this.” 

Their game began shortly after, only the sound of their vigorous tapping and background music filled the room. When the younger lost again, Itaru just chuckled and put down his own controller. “You know, you should try and hang out with Citron as well. He’s really fun once you get to know him.” The older man decided to change games and loaded _“Mario Kart”_ instead. This earned him a hearty laugh from his guest. “Really? What are you, his boyfriend or some shit?” 

The other stared at the screen for a few moments, then blinked. Banri didn’t even notice Itaru spacing out as he assembled his car.

_Now that’s a concept._

They kept playing without mentioning Citron again.

\---- 

It has dawned on Itaru that, in fact, he might be very fond of Citron. Through the time they have shared in the past couple of months, he noticed many things about the other that he wouldn’t have - unless they sat so closely on his couch and played games together. He dug out his old consoles, since Citron insisted on playing the other _“Ace Attorney”_ games. It was endearing, really, to see him squinting at the tiny 3DS screen and reading out the story. 

Other endearing things were the fact he had dimples. They were very unnoticeable and small, unless you looked very closely at his face. You’d think it would be easier to spot them, considering how much he smiled. But Citron was on a whole different league of many things to notice at the same time - and it was exactly what Itaru was trying to do at the moment. 

As he promised himself, he got the new “Animal Crossing” game, but was mostly goofing around while sneaking glances at his new gaming partner. He was using headphones, as to not bother Itaru while he played - part of their agreement to let Citron play in his room - but it was obvious he was very much invested in the game’s story. His bright blue eyes looking at the screen intensely, a small gasp escaping him as he read a specific line. It was cute.

Citron noticed his staring though, turned to look at his companion. Taking out one earbud, he gave Itaru a questioning look. “Was I loud?” 

His host just shook his head no, and returned to his own game. He couldn’t help but feel slightly self conscious for staring, his face heating up a bit.

“Oh! Taruchi, this is the new _Animal Crossing_ game right?” Citron leaned in to look at the Switch screen, taking up too much of Itaru’s personal space. His weight leaned on the side of his body, making Itaru’s self conscious feeling stronger. “Y-Yeah I got it a few days ago.” He tried to clear some space between them, causing Citron to draw back suddenly.

“Sorry, I got a bit excited.” the foreigner admitted, sheepish. “I want to try it, when I am done with this!” he gestured with his hands, holding the other console. 

The other man smiled at him. “Sure, I’ll let you have a look.” 

They both stared at each other with embarrassed smiles for a couple of seconds, before Citron broke the silence. “I am happy.” 

Itaru’s eyebrows rose, inquiring. “I am glad to spend time with Itaru now. It makes me feel…” Citron squinted a bit, choosing his words. “Home?” it sounded more like a question than a defined answer, but Itaru smiled back, nodding in approval. 

“I’m… happy too…” he admitted, catching himself blushing again but still smiling at the other. They both shared a short glance before Citron chuckled and went back to play his game. They sat slightly closer than before.

\----

“AH! Watch out for the bees!!!” Citron clung to Itaru’s left arm as he watched him play. Once Citron finished all the games he wanted, he was more than content to see what Itaru was doing today on his island. He called it “Mankai”. 

“I’m trying, but it’s hard to concentrate when you dig your fingers into my arm…” Itaru tried his best to avoid the bees, but failed to take out his ladder on time and ended up getting stung. “Ah crap…” his character was now adorned with a funny little sting on their eye.

“Oh…. sorry Itaru, I was too focused on the game….” his guest looked genuinely sad, taking a few scoots away from him. But the gamer just gave him a reassuring smile and laughed. “It’s fine, you know the wasp stings heal right? Also there’s a nice cheat to get medicine so I’ll work on that.” he quickly got back to moving his avatar around, when he noticed Citron still sat away from him and just peering into the screen.

“You’re going to strain your neck if you keep sitting like this.” he patted the spot besides him, where the younger sat earlier. Citron tilted his head in question, repeating the word. “‘Strain’? What does it mean?”

His host gestured to his own neck, mimicking a massaging motion. “To hurt it. _Strain_?” Itaru said the word in English, hopefully it will help him understand it better. As he expected, his eyes grew wider, and the smile was back. Citron nodded. “Oh! I know this word. I will remember it.” he began scooting closer towards Itaru, but seemed hesitant again. 

“You sure it’s okay for you, Itaru? I don’t want to be a brother.” The gamer just rolled his eyes at him, and tapped the spare space next to him again. “You are not a BOTHER Citron. I’m not really used to people looking intensely into my console as I play.”

Immediately the other flopped onto his previous spot but kept his hands in his lap. “Okay Itaru!” and just leaned his head on top of Itaru’s shoulder. 

It made the other stop for a moment, but then continued as it was the most natural thing to happen. Besides - Citron’s hair smelled nice. 

Taking a small glance down at his companion, he noticed his dimples again as his smile widened and his eyes shown. Yup, Citron was still cute.

\----

It was a surprisingly calm and quiet evening. Itaru was half expecting Citron to visit him again so they could check on his island. He looked at his watch; past nine thirty. 

Not that he’s complaining about some peace and quiet but…. maybe he’ll check on him.

Walking down the hall, the gamer headed towards room 101, but stopped in his tracks when he passed by the big windows. It was a full moon tonight, and no clouds in the horizon. Though the city lights prevented the stars from shining to their fullest, a few dots here and there really made it a picture perfect. The light illuminating the garden made it look like a cut scene from a visual novel.

And in the middle of it all, Itaru could spot his recent gaming pal, laying on the grass at the center of the small patio. It looks as if he was stargazing.

The blonde decided to head downstairs, snatching one of the blankets laying in the common area for watching TV on his way.

Once stepping out, he was glad he wore a long sleeved shirt; It was getting colder during the nights. Itaru wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, padding closer into the patio. 

There were low humming coming from Citron, with additional singing in a language Itaru guessed was his native tongue. 

The foreigner didn’t notice the other until some of the moon light was blocked partly by his head. Citron looked up, mildly confused by the sudden change in lighting - only to grin back at Itaru with glee.

“Itaru! Good night!” he exclaimed, but made no move to get up from his spot. He was wearing one of Omi’s sweaters, he noticed. How did he know? Because he saw the college student wearing it occasionally while cooking. It was baggy and oversized, making Citron look cozy and soft. It was adorable.

“G’night. What are you doing?” the new garden guest scooted closer to Citron’s side, slowly lowering himself to a sitting position on the grass. He tightened the blanket around him.

“Looking at the _Luna_!” the smile hasn't left his face, though his eyes held a strange longing in them. It was a weird combination, considering how excited he sounded. 

“Hm… I guess it’s nice.” Itaru looked up as well to gaze at the shining orb in the sky. While it didn’t seem as impressive as when they had gone camping, he could still appreciate the radiating light, and the way it made the garden feel serene.

They sat there for a while, just looking up at the night sky in peace, only the occasional sounds of rustling leaves or distant chatter from inside could be heard dimly. 

“In Zahara, the moon is always very big and shiny.” Itaru tilted his head when Citron suddenly spoke up. “It look very close. Like you can touch it.” reaching out with his left hand, his fingers stretched as if mimicking the action of catching said moon in his palm. 

“The moon in Japan is very small…” Citron lowered his hand back to his lap, and Itaru could see how his expression saddened, his gentle features illuminated by the silver glow. The bundled up gamer kept his gaze on the other, letting out a small sigh.

“You miss it?”

Citron’s brow furrowed, his eyes fixated on the moon still. “Every day…”

Another moment of silence stretched between them. Itaru shuffled slightly to adjust his cover again, warming his palms under the blanket. 

“But, it’s going to be fine.” Citron rose to a sitting position slowly, facing the other. He noticed a few strands of stray grass caught in the younger’s sandy hair. Even when his eyes shimmered with unshed tears, Citron still held a warm smile as he stared at Itaru fondly. 

“Now I met many new friends, and I get to play with Taruchi every day! So, I have good… experience.” it sounded like he wasn’t sure about the last word, but he voiced it regardless with a grin on his face. Itaru replied with his own smile, opening the blanket on his left side so Citron can join him. The tanned man didn’t hesitate and burrowed instantly into the plush material while snuggling close to the other. 

Citron was warm, and Itaru felt content and cozy sharing the blanket outdoors like this. It was something he rarely did, just taking some time off from screen after screen. The sudden feel of Citron’s toasty palms snaking around his left arm caused him to straighten his back, heat creeping up his neck towards his face. Itaru hoped it was hard to see in the dim light of the night sky. Slender fingers glided over his sleeve, some of them brushing against the pale skin revealed. He gulped.

“Itaru.” his name was soft on Citron’s lips, almost a whisper, and it rolled from his mouth to his ear so easily, thanks to their proximity. The older tried to stay calm, only hummed in question and avoiding eye contact. The messy locks of Citron’s hair entered his vision though, sky blue eyes staring intensely into Itaru’s pink orbs. “Can I ask you a question?”

Their faces were close, all a bit awkwardly angled, but even in the soft gleam on the moon, Itaru noticed the dusty pink color adorning Citron’s cheeks. It meant his own flush was probably obvious as well. He nodded slowly. 

“Is it okay if I kiss you?” the question was… surprising. But though his gut knotted and his pulse caused him to hitch his own breath, Itaru found himself leaning ever so slightly towards Citron. He breathed out a shaky approval before both closed the distance left between them, lips touching gently. It was fleeting, Citron’s plush lips pressing comfortably into Itaru’s thin and mildly chapped ones. And just as they touched, the other man pulled back with a small smile. Itaru had to remember how to breath again.

“Itaru is shy?” he could hear him chuckle softly, shuffling under the blanket. “What? No, I---” he didn’t have time to finish his train of thought when Citron swiftly changed positions to straddle his lap. The fluffy cover fall to the cool grass, but the warmth from the Zaharan engulfed him. His gentle fingertips found their way into Itaru’s blonde locks, running over his scalp and causing him to sigh deeply. Citron leaned forward again, using his leverage to control their next kiss. Itaru tilted his head upwards to meet his lips, eyelids fluttering shut with bliss. It was hotter now, slightly wetter when Citron moved his mouth expertly over the other’s. It had hit him, suddenly, that Citron was a very good kisser.

And he had to repay the favor. 

His own shaky palms held Citron’s waist, and they both drowned into each other’s presence, lots in their shared passion. 

After what felt like eternity, they broke apart slowly, Citron leaned his own forehead against Itaru’s. They took measured breaths, both with their eyes still closed.

Itaru was first to take a peek, gradually opening his eyelids to study the other’s features. When Citron opened his own, they shared a fond gaze as they smiled into each other’s lips.

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't sure how to properly end this, only I wanted them to kiss /)//v//(\  
> Anyway, gomen for weird ass writing structure.


End file.
